Henrietta and Immortal Beings (Metaphor)
Near the end of the book, Deborah’s husband Gary explains to Skloot that to their family, Henrietta lives on through the HeLa cells. In his explanation, he includes a metaphor about earthly bodies, heavenly bodies, and immortal beings. He compares Henrietta to a biblical angel or immortal being that God selected to do their work. And “when the Lord chooses an angel to do his work, you never know what they going to come back looking like” (Pg. 462). In Henrietta’s case, the form she came back in, also called her heavenly body, was HeLa. To Henrietta’s deeply religious family, this metaphor of immortal, heavenly beings is a clearer way of explaining the relationship between Henrietta and HeLa than any science-based explanation.
HeLa in the Lab (Simile)
"Like guinea pigs and mice, Henrietta’s cells have become the standard laboratory workhorse" (Pg. 18).
When reminiscing about her initial introduction to Henrietta and the HeLa cell line, Skloot compares Henrietta’s cells to experimental lab animals. This helps explain to the reader the exact role of the HeLa line in cellular science. It’s the ultimate guinea pig, the ultimate trial and error dummy for cellular experimentation. Furthermore, by using the word “workhouse” specifically, Skloot references the not so distant past when Black bodies were constant sources of free and endless labor. Because the source of the HeLa cell line is a Black woman, this history is important to bear in mind.
Henrietta and John Hopkins (Simile)
"For Henrietta, walking into Hopkins was like entering a foreign country where she didn’t speak the language" (pg. 31).
By comparing John Hopkins Hospital to a foreign country whose language Henrietta didn’t know, Skloot highlights the yawning power and knowledge gap between the medical field and the general public. This simile makes it clear that hospitals were a confusing, intimidating, and stressful place for patients like Henrietta.
Early Days in Clover (Simile)
"When most Lackses talked about Henrietta and Day and their early life in Clover, it sounded as idyllic as a fairy tale" (pg. 42).
The comparison of Henrietta’s early life in Clover to a fairy tale serves as a foil to the pain and suffering Henrietta experienced later in life outside of Clover. Though this time is enjoyable, it is ultimately no more lasting than a fable.
The Invasiveness of HeLa (Simile)
"As HeLa grew like crabgrass in laboratories around the world… (Skloot 198)."
Crabgrass is a weed-like grass that is undesirable to gardeners and landscapers around the world. It is an invasive species that is hardy and spreads quickly. By comparing HeLa to crabgrass, Skloot highlights how pervasively and quickly HeLa spread and contaminated other cell cultures in labs around the world. Like crabgrass with other plants and flowers, HeLa invaded the space of other cells. While HeLa’s resiliency and ability to survive and thrive in varied environments is one of its central strengths, if unchecked, it can also be a devastating weakness for researchers.
